Enraged over the Andhra Pradesh government's apathetic attitude in solving their long standing demands for relief from the environment-related issues including lifting of ban on expansion of existing bulk drug units, the bulk drugs manufacturers in Andhra Pradesh are planning to approach the central government to find a solution to the issues once and for all.

The bulk drug manufacturers in Andhra Pradesh, under the banner of Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA), have been making representations to the state government for the last couple of years to find a solution to the issues facing the industry. But, even after assurances from the chief ministers and other concerned ministers, the issues are stilling pending much to the disadvantage of the manufacturers in the state. "If we do not get some relief immediately, we are planning to approach the union environment ministry," said BDMA president M Narayana Reddy.

The pollution has been a nagging issue for the bulk drugs industry in Andhra Pradesh for over a decade. The state government had banned setting up of new bulk drug units and the expansion of the existing ones on orders from the Supreme Court. In its interim order dated May 12, 1998, the Supreme Court ordered Andhra Pradesh government to declare permanent ban on setting up of new units of bulk drug industry.

But, at the advice of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), the then state government passed an order on April 21, 1999 putting a permanent ban not only on establishments of new units but also on expansion of existing units of Hyderabad and the nearby industrial areas of Ranga Reddy, Medak, Mahaboobnagar and Nalgonda districts, the bulk drugs manufacturers said.

Ever since, the bulk drugs manufacturers in Andhra Pradesh have been urging the state government to lift the ban on expansion of existing bulk drug units of Hyderabad and the nearby industrial areas of Ranga Reddy, Medak, Mahaboobnagar and Nalgonda districts on condition of strict compliance of pollution control norms by the industry. The bulk drug manufacturers argue that the intention of the Supreme Court was to ban only establishment of new units in these five districts, and not the expansion of existing units on the purpose of controlling and containment of industrial pollution.

When the ban was imposed, the common effluent plants (CETPs) were at nascent stage. Subsequently with the gradual introduction of new technologies both the CETPs have been performing well in the treatment of effluents. Even now, both these plants are poised for further upgradation of technology to take large amount of effluent load, they argue.

This is only one of the several issues the bulk drug manufacturers are facing in AP. There are issues such as, the commissioning the 18-km pipeline from PETL, Patancheru to Balanagar Mains to carry the industrial effluents to STP at Amberpet, state pollution control board's insistence for new Environmental Clearance (EC) from the union ministry of environment & forest while putting up CFE applications with the pollution control board for change of product mix, and the issue of permitting inter-change of volume of production, etc.